Last year U.S. President Barack Obama challenged video game developers young and old to develop a game that encouraged the learning of science, technology, engineering, and math. The winners of the STEM Video Game Challenge have been announced, and the grand prize winner is a game that teaches children how to spread disease.

Filament Games' Dan Norton and Dan White (the Dans) were awarded the $50,000 grand prize for their web-based game You Make Me Sick! Created with the aid of special education expert Dr. Matthew Marino of Washington State University, You Make Me Sick! is a game in which children design their own virus and then attempt to infect hosts with it by placing it somewhere the host might come in contact with it.

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While the concept sounds sinister, the game itself is actually quite charming, filled with colorful mini-games that manage to entertain as much as they educate.

In my initial play through of the game, I chose Influenza A, my favorite airborne virus. Being airborne, I had to find an area where wind was blowing in order to infect my target Henry, a sickly slob of an old man. I chose an open window.

Hitting the space bar lured Henry over to the window, giving my beloved Influenza A a chance to attack. In a separate mini-game, I used puffs of wind to direct the bacteria to Henry's mouth as he breathed in and out.

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Once inside his body, I got to guide the Influenza A to a cell, infecting it slowly as anti-bodies attempted to take a bite out of it. After three cells were infected, my job was done.

It's the most fun I've had infecting another human being with Influenza A ever. I can see why the Dans walked away with $50,000.